Locating a hidden thicket, I lay the raccoon corpse belly up. It takes all my willpower not to engulf the raccoon and bask in the feelings its flavorful body would provide.

One of its legs twitches as I shake my hands and turn away, suppressing the feeling. ‘I shall begin attempting to acquire a medical skill by applying my knowledge of the four humors to this animal. [1] It is difficult to do on a dead animal, but I can certainly attempt to.’

I glance at the cattail. Its tendrils are fully unwound and at the ready.

‘Some force will be required, and the cattail is my only option. Using the cattail while examining the corpse medically should, from what I have observed, advance both Naturalist and the Whip skill. I hope to also receive an Interim medical skill by doing this.’

Lowering myself, I poke at the raccoon's soft belly. My finger has little effect on it, so I arc the cattail over my head. Pushing the cattail against the raccoon's belly, a bit of blood leaks from its mouth.

My shoulder slump as I stand, wrapping the cattail back around my torso. ‘Aye. I need something sharp.’

Covering the raccoon carcass in leaves, I roam the shadowy park hunting for something I can use as a dissection tool. Leaving the secluded area, I move toward the Terrace’s Arcade. When I pass the fountain, I glance at a layer of snow that surrounds its exterior.

‘It seems as if it is rather cold. I imagine most people would not wish to be out in this weather.’ My gaze shifts to a placard embedded into the wall outside the Arcade. ‘And seems to be a good time to read one of the placards while searching for something sharp.’

I brace my mind to learn what I may. The placard starts as such, “Landmarks of New York. Bethesda Fountain and Terrace”.

‘Bethesda Terrace is what the sign said on the rooms near the grand staircases… More importantly, what happened to the old York in England? Did a war ravage Yorkshire? There was the Pilgrimage of Grace, but that was a few decades before my time. [2] The Scotts perhaps?’

I pause, pulling my black as night hair forward. Yet before this, in life, it was red, and red-hair in London was yet another target I had on my back from birth. Most witches were said to have red-hair, only making things worse from there.

Looking toward the ground, I release my hair. It floats near weightlessly behind me as a soft wind blows.

I take a moment before raising my head, once more staring at the placard. ‘I should just keep reading.’

The placard goes on to speak of what I assume is this place, “Central Park,” as well as this place’s architecture. The final section leaves me quiet, “Installed in 1873 plaque erected 1965.”

‘...Aye. This is the second placard that seems to imply that it has been hundreds of years at least.’ Moving to the fountain, I sit. ‘Sitting really does not feel much different than standing, yet it is somehow calming.’

For a while longer, I sit in silence, kicking my legs and staring at the ground.

‘I know Earl told me the time was unknown, but I still did not believe it would be centuries. I left because I did not feel like I belonged in the world as it was in the past, yet the present might be even worse. At least in the past, I understood human society.’

Lifting my head, I look toward the area where the seed is germinating; my thoughts shift.

‘But if I do not belong in the past nor the future, then I shall simply create a place I do belong. I am alive, and regardless I am never allowing myself to return to the Tenebrous Place. I shall push onward, despite the era I find myself. I can at least have a single place that welcomes me cordially… I cannot allow this to distract me from my objectives.’

I leave the fountain, some time passes until I discover a brown glass bottle. I hesitate to break it, but the glass’s quality seems relatively low, and it does not seem to be treated particularly well. Thus I shatter the bottle and salvage two pieces of glass that shall assist me in my endeavor.

Returning to the raccoon carcass, I toss the leaves that cover its body and prepare to dissect it. I am not actually sure how the Cosmic System decides I earned something, so I just act as if I am teaching someone about the humors.

‘Aye, Earl! As the only thing that has spoken to me in what has apparently been centuries, thou shall be my student. Of course, that fiendish Bishop does not count. That was not a conversation.’ My mind shudders. ‘...Now! Let us get started.’

I correct my posture and prepare to lecture Earl. ‘To begin, every person has a unique humoral composition. Oh, I should mention that since it has been centuries, it is possible parts of my knowledge are outdated. We will begin with the most simple of the four “blood.”’

Taking the piece of glass, I grip it with the cattail’s tendrils, fumbling a bit to keep the pointed side facing downwards. As I cut the creature with the glass shard, it becomes apparent that I am mangling it rather than dissecting the creature, but it is good enough. Exposing the creature’s liver, I resume my lecture.

Time passes as the night fades and the sun rises, but I continue my lecture to Earl in tremendous and excruciating detail. Fortunately, I assume he cannot abandon me; otherwise, I believe he would do so.

‘So to recap for the tenth and final time. Blood is associated with the liver and a warm temperament. Yellow bile is associated with the gallbladder and an aggressive temperament. Black bile is associated with the spleen and a melancholic temperament. Finally, phlegm is associated with the brain, lungs, and a coy temperament.’

I stare into space, pointing out every detail I can think of to the invisible Earl. It has been so enjoyable that I am not even sure how much time has been passing.

‘Oh my, that was actually fun. Hmm, I know I said it was the last time, but let us actually go through everything once mo—’

A blue wall appears as if begging for me to stop.

Congratulations!

You have earned the “Humorism” skill.

Considered a pseudoscience by modern human academics and crude by the sapient races of the past, humorism is a skill that infuses mana into the humorals. This skill has been left almost entirely unexplored by intelligent races.

As an Interim skill, it must be trained to the novice rank within 7-days to obtain permanently.

Achieved Interim Naturalist [Grade 3]

‘It actually worked! Although, it’s odd that it did not give me other choices? Is there a reason it did not offer me a basic medicine skill and simply awarded me this one? The description seems a bit demeaning as well. It states it is both crude and unexplored. I do not know if I agree with either of those… Ah, well, nary a need to worry about it.’

My attention turns to the base of a nearby tree where a family of squirrels has just dug up some food from the snow. They munch on it, preparing to retreat into a hollow of a tree—the cattail wiggles in anticipation for a hunt.

Hours pass as I explain the principles of the four-humors to Earl. Additionally, I attempt to manipulate the cattail by doing complicated and convoluted movements with it. I do this while adding what little I know about raccoons and my newest acquisitions, squirrels, and pigeons. At the same time, I consume the nearby plant life in between lecturing and cutting the carcasses. This is all an effort and an experiment to simultaneously raise as many of my skills as possible.

I point at the squirrel carcasses. ‘Aye. So as I stated previously, the nature of the soul follows the mixtures of the body. That is except for Phlegm, which is thought by some to not have any influence on an individual’s character. Phlegm was always a strange one, as it also contributed to odd things like white hair, which is why it is partially associated with old age.’

Feeling a bit mentally fatigued, I stop, and a blue wall appears.

Achieved Interim Humorism [Grade 1]

Achieved Interim Humorism [Grade 2]

Achieved Novice Feline Whip [Grade 1]

+1 Acuity

+1 Endurance

15 Stat Points Remaining

‘Ha! Earl, I did so well that the Cosmic System even awarded me a second grade in the skill.’

I look toward the sunset with my arms raised in victory. Yet, I am surprised by what I find.

’Wait? That is not a sunset; it is a sunrise. I thought the sun had already risen. Is it rising again? Nay, I certainly did not just spend an entire day and night dissecting animals and lecturing Earl.’

With a feeling of hunger gripping my body, I move my hand to my belly and check my Erysichthon, finding it at eighty-one.

‘Good lord!’

I think back, trying to understand how this even happened. Recalling a storm rolling in just after sunrise, I remember speaking of the kidneys to Earl. The day passed, but with my vision, the world is always dyed in a slight purple hue whether it be day or night. In fact, it can sometimes be difficult to tell what time it is without checking if the moon or sun is out. Though, even in the past, I used to do things like this until I was tired… tired?

‘Is it because I do not actually get tired physically, so I simply did not realize it.’

I look toward the bloody mess I made while giving my lecture. Now torn from my instructor’s daze, a nagging pain spreads.

‘I am starved.’

Dropping the brown glass, the cattail’s tendrils open and latch onto the carcasses. Steadily it draws each of them into itself. With the red-haze flowing into the shell, I savor the relief the delicious feeling grants me.

Earl Interface:

Absorbed ‘City Pigeon’ (Non-Magical)

Absorbed ‘Rabid City Raccoon’ (Non-Magical)

Absorbed ‘City Park Squirrel’ (Non-Magical)

Reduced Erysichthon value by 37

Essence attained 2.

0.5 Refinable Nebula

0.1 Refinable Vitrum

Earl’s purple wall appears. ‘A generous amount and I even attained two Essence. A bit unexpected as I have never attained any from normal creatures before. Odd, I will have to look into that later.’

My hand moves to my chest in relief as I check my Erysichthon value.

‘I must be more careful. If I had not been consuming all those plants for the Naturalist skill throughout the day and night, I might have inadvertently entered the frenzied state. How embarrassing that would have been…’

Hearing someone speaking nearby, I lower myself close to the ground. I move through the thicket, glancing back to find the grass seems to have died where I sat dissecting the animals for over a day. I soon arrive at the edge of the thicket and use my hand to cover my eyes. I listen in on the conversation taking place.

Two male figures stand a distance away from the illumination of the lanterns. I cannot see the two very well. For the most part, I can only perceive one figure is rather large while the other seems smaller with poor posture.

The one with poor posture rubs the nape of his neck. “Y-yo. You the guy?” a young man’s voice cracks as he tensely asks.

The large figure crosses his arms. A hoarse voice coughs, replying, “Depends. Who ya lookin’ for?”

‘Oh? I believe I would recognize the behavior of miscreants regardless of the era. How fun! A performance after all of my hard work!’

The young man smiles awkwardly, burying his hand into his pockets. “I-I expected you to have it with you.”

“How did you expect me to bring something so big here?” the hoarse voice asks, rolling his eyes.

“W-whatever. How do you expect me to pay for it when I haven’t even seen it?” He fiddles with something through his pocket at his waist. “Will it even… y’know ‘get’ me there?”

“I sent you a picture this morning, remember? I’ll also guarantee it’ll ‘get’ you there.”

“Yeah, it still had the Police harness on it still,” he murmurs to himself.

“What was that!?”

”Nothing! But! Can one horse really get me there? Like, Is it really worth enough?”

‘A horse? Perhaps, I misheard. Though… generally, a horse will indeed ‘get’ someone somewhere. Still, why are they speaking as if this is something illegal? Are horses illegal now?’

“An adult Clydesdale horse is enough. I’d stake my reputation on it.”

“B-but, how much...” He pauses, taking a hasty look around. “How much Essence is it worth?”

“Shit, kid. Didn’t you do any research before contacting me? As I said, an adult Clydesdale horse has more than enough Essence to get you to level one. Guaran-damn-teed!” He emphasizes his vulgar language while holding out his palm and rubbing two of his fingers together. “Now, are you gonna buy the fuckin’ thing or what, kid? I ain’t stickin’ round here much longer.”

‘Essence? These people are in the Beta. So... this young man is buying a horse to harvest the Essence from it? Do ordinary people level off of Essence? If that is the case, I seem to be at a disadvantage… Not fair!’

The young man hesitates, stuttering, “I-I don’t know. M-my parents don’t even know I’m in the Beta. They think it’s all just people taking some new drugs and other dumb shit like that. Will they really understand why I’m doing what I’m doing?”

“Of course, anyone who didn’t get in wouldn’t want to believe they weren’t chosen,” the hoarse man’s voice declares.

“But, the System said it didn’t pick chosen ones…”

“You know what I mean, kid! It just means they lacked something that didn’t allow them into the Beta.” The hoarse voice huffs. “Goddam. This is a waste of time. Decide quick, kid! This System shit can be dangerous to talk about in the open, right now.”

“I-I…”

“Never look a gift-horse in the mouth, kid,” he laughs, “That joke was for free; now, I’m not waiting another millisecond.” Again he holds up his palm, waiting for the young man to, I presume, pay him.

The kid reaches into his pocket, fiddling with whatever it is. He looks toward the ground, his mouth opening and closing.

“Fuck it! Just forget it! I’m leaving!”

“Wait! Fine! I’m buyin’,” the youth shouts in a panic, “N-now, how are we gonna do this?”

“Just give me the gold. No paper like we talked about. I’ll give you an address and a syringe potent enough to down an elephant. Just inject it, it’ll close its eyes, and a few minutes later, you’ll get the prompt from the Cosmic System. Easy peasy lemon squeezy,” a throaty chuckle follows the person’s explanation.

“Alright, let’s do it,” the boy states eagerly, “Here, a two-hundred-gram gold bar, for the Essence.”

The hoarse man laughs. “I’m sure your parents will understand why you stole from them in the future.” I can hear the rustling of objects as the two people swap items. “Good. Now you go one way, and I’ll go the other. Careful to not let yourself be seen by anyone if you can avoid it.”

The hoarse man turns, walking away, leaving the young man staring at a piece of paper in his hands.

‘I never really considered it before now, since this place is already so strange, but something like the Cosmic System would significantly affect this era.’

I watch as the young man turns and disappears into the cold night.

‘It was a fascinating conversation, but I need to focus on my own means of gaining strength. I doubt I shall be able to purchase Essence from anyone anytime soon. Though it would be nice to have someone to talk to for various reasons.’

Summoning the blue ‘Status’ wall, I check my Mana and Erysichthon values. I ponder my next course of action, ultimately deciding that tonight I shall search for a place to hide near this “Boathouse Cafe,” where I heard the wealthy students enjoy studying. If all goes well, I may find some reading material that I can use to study the subjects Earl recommended. Looking toward the sky and seeing it will be a bit more time until nightfall, I spend the rest of the day moving about my thicket listening in on conversations.

Once night arrives, I make my move.

‘All that time, spying, and I never did advance my Stealth.’

Sauntering across the lake in the snowy night as fast as the haze allows, it is seven hundred steps later when I find myself at a place that seems to be the ‘café’ I have been searching for.

It is quite beautiful and well lit, resembling a beacon in an otherwise gloomy place, much like the entirety of this city. Unfortunately for me, people seem to be on a patio outdoors enjoying a late-night banquet. A woman walks between decorated tables, greeting guests. She wears a big poofy white gown with an open top and exposed shoulders. Her pale skin is red from the cold, but the woman’s posture and demeanor are reminiscent of those of a noble.

I glance down at my own attire realizing the dresses are somewhat similar. Spreading my arms, I fall backward onto the moonlit water’s surface.

‘I will have to wait for them to leave.’

I float above the sleepy water, gazing off into the sky that seems to never find rest within the confines of this massive city.

‘I have been unable to see the stars since I arrived here. Have they disappeared like the world I knew?’

Yet, as the time before, the silvery moon hangs high in the sky. Its reflection on the water encompasses me, making it almost seem as if I am lying upon the moon itself. Around me, tiny snowflakes disturb the water creating small ripples on the water’s surface.

‘...Aye. Even if I must do it on my own, I shall make my own place in this world. Perhaps that place may even have stars to keep the moon company.’

As I lie there, a sweet and elegant voice rings in my head, “The spirit out on the lake, may I ask, what are you doing?”